Venus (much closer to earth and therefore appearing the larger of the two planets) and Jupiter are converging for a remarkably close encounter. On March 12th and 13th the two bright planets will lie scarcely 3o apart in the western sky at sunset.

Marek Nikodem photographed the approach on March 9th. "Venus and Jupiter glitter so clearly, they are like beautiful diamonds in the sky," says Nikodem. "It is an amazing and unique view."

As the distance between them shrinks, Venus and Jupiter can become physiologically mesmerizing, according to NASA. Look for them before the sky fades completely black. The two planets surrounded by twilight blue is a beautiful sight indeed. www.spaceweather.com